Connection (13 page)

“Father. This alien alone bested five of your best men when unarmed. He easily defeated the men you sent to his hotel. Do you think the army would sit idly by if we took their prisoners? They would track us down to the LeSlur estate. The alien would hunt his friend. We would never escape.”

“What if we were in Prath uniforms son? Can you get real Prath uniforms?”

“Yes Father. Those are easy to obtain because the Prath make their people buy their own uniforms. They would not know where to look. It is a decent idea father, but I am worried about Robert…his ship might decide to drop a rock on us.

LeAt’s freighter landed near Cassandra at the abandoned airfield. The refueling trucks and men were nearby as agreed and Cassandra kept watch on the area around us. The chemical propellants were tested and both ships refueled. Robert emerged in his newly cleaned flight suit and went over to talk with LeAt by the freighter. The laser was a prominent new addition – it looked deadly.

Robert greeted LeAt outside the freighter. “Did you have any trouble with General LesTo?”

LeAt laughed. “Nothing my brother couldn’t handle. Every time the general threatens us – my brother beats him…I think LesTo must like it. He truly believes we should surrender to him and that Xale belongs to LesMa. The ship is much faster after your modifications. We may have a chance to start something here. Do you think the officials will really meet with us? Seriously? I do not trust them. What can we do to protect ourselves?”

“I do not trust them,” Robert said. “I have Cassandra monitoring vehicles and personnel. She thinks something is wrong but does not know what it is yet.”

“What if they just shoot us all?” LeAt asked.

“I am hoping they let me talk before they do so – Cassandra and I redirected a LARGE asteroid toward Thraman City. It will hit here in a week if we don’t deflect it. My ship won’t do that if I’m dead. Cassandra said she would keep dropping them on LesMa ‘til you have an agreement. She will be angry if I’m killed.”

“She can get angry?”

“Scary isn’t it. She is attached to me and I’ve never felt bonded to a
computer
like her before. People on Earth would think I let her have too much…freedom. I think she is sentient.”

“You mean like a person. I think she is too,” LeAt said.

“Thank you Robert. That is the nicest thing that has EVER been said about me,” Cassandra said through his subcutaneous communicator. “I detect a convoy headed this way. Five…no six vehicles.”

“Company coming LeAt. Better have LesTo rolled out,” Robert said. ‘Cassandra. Cover us,’ Robert said
sotto voce
.

“Uh huh,” Cassandra said mockingly.

                                                                          ****

The General saw the Xale freighter and the Zhast other ship ahead like they said it would be. General LesTo was there big as life – hands bound behind him. The convoy rolled up and the LesMa delegation of military and Prath set up around the area. One squad of troops efficiently set up a large tent structure with chairs, a table, and portable lighting. The LesMa general walked ahead of the whole group and motioned back to the third vehicle. Skip Mullins was helped out and brought forward.

The LesMa general strode forward and addressed Robert who was standing a bit behind LeAt. “So there you are. I wondered if you actually existed. Robert Kobe? What an odd name? I see you brought General LesTo. Give him to us and we will turn Skip Mullins loose,” he said while motioning to his men to bring Skip forward. The LesMa General had his men undo the shackles on Skip and gently directed him toward Robert.

Skip came forward and gave Robert a big hug – crying all the time. General LesTo grinned evilly as LeToms undid his shackles.

LesTo turned back toward Robert, LeAt, and the Xale troops. “You will pay for your actions…it will mean nothing in the long term,” he growled out the words and everyone felt his hate. LesTo turned back and walked up to the LesMa general. “You are an idiot if you work with these people.”

The LesMa General said, “Welcome home General LesTo,” he said and pulled his sidearm. He shot LesTo directly between his eyes and holstered like it was something he did every day. He turned toward the Xale delegation and said, “I apologize but those were my orders – we considered him unbalanced. Let us set up over there,” he said pointing. “My people set up a temporary facility for us. We’ll clean this up,” he said pointing at Lesto’s crumpled corpse.

Shots rang out as a group of Prath started running toward them.

Cassandra contacted Robert. “They’ve got Skip. Get the Prath General and get back to the ship.”

A Prath officer was raising a rifle toward the LesMa General. Robert shot him in the face and the Prath’s shot went wide. The Prath were trying to shoot all the military but the troops were not sheep and were killing many of their attackers. Robert ran forward, started shooting, and killed two more. The LesMa general joined Robert behind one of the vehicles and he was shooting too. They could see Skip was being dragged toward the rearmost vehicle. The Prath were retreating toward the last two vehicles. A laser from the freighter tore through the first vehicle. It exploded but the last vehicle made a getaway.

A soldier came running up to the General and he pointed his rifle at Robert. The General reached up and pushed the barrel away. “Get my vehicle,” the general ordered.

“General. All the vehicles are damaged. Our communications are inoperable.”

Before the general could say anything, Robert offered. “General. May I offer you a ride? Your men can ride in the freighter and we can get anywhere in minutes. We can talk – we need to talk. Those were not Prath were they?”

“No…obviously not. Yes. I would like a ride back to Thraman City. I will require two men with me – I understand you have four seats.”

Robert looked surprised and laughed. “Your trapped inspectors – ah. Fine with me general. Your men and the bodies?”

The General turned to his men who had come to his position. He indicated two that were to join us on Cassandra. He told the rest to take any wounded or bodies back to Thraman City on the freighter.

Robert knew that Cassandra had been monitoring because he heard her tell LeAt to take all the soldiers back to Thraman City. “Robert,” Cassandra said through the communicator while talking with LeAt at the same time. “Skip’s communicator is still working. I noticed it when he got close to the ship but it's a little off frequency. It may have been damaged but I can track him if he is near any of their hacked mobile communications systems. I will monitor.”

                                                                          ****

“General. I have never known your name. You know I am Robert Kobe but I want to know you and your men. They fought very well against that surprise attack – we would all be dead if not for them. I never expected that attack from someone outside the government.”

“I am General LeTo Lallaman. I am often kidded about by name because it is from a children’s story. This is Service Chief Latima and Battle Chief Lomsolo.”

“I am pleased to meet you men and proud to have fought beside you. I hope we can quickly recover my friend and work out an agreement. Our planets have so much to offer each other – all trade members are going to grow fabulously rich.”

“That may be so but why should we not just shoot you and take your ship,” General Lallaman asked in a half-joking manner.

“I forgot to mention that Cassandra and I redirected a LARGE asteroid so it will hit Thraman City in a week if I don’t deflect it in the next five days. I cannot stop it if I’m dead and Cassandra, my ship, might get angry and keep dropping asteroids all over LesMa. General – just kill me. Maybe you can learn to control advanced computers in five days or maybe this planet will be a burned out cinder…it is up to you.”

The General chuckled and his men relaxed. “Do you know who might have attacked us? I have many enemies but none that would try something like an attack on me.”

“General. I expect it was LeChak LeSlur III or men acting on his orders. I had to kill several of his men when they attacked me a few days ago. He is the connection to smuggle Twasolo to LesMa from Xale. A trade agreement would end his profits.”

“LeChak used to be a big name. He was a government officer for his region until he was thrown out of office for corruption. His son bottles fine liquor, but I suppose it was not making him enough money. Why did you start smuggling Twasolo?” the general asked.

Robert was a little surprised. “General. Two weeks ago, I did not know your people even existed. I am a businessman that builds spacecraft. Twasolo is in considered a mild stimulant drink and has little effect on us. We just had some with us when we arrived here.”

“Us? You and this man Skip?” the general asked. “Are there more of you?”

Robert laughed and held up his hands showing the four fingers and a thumb on each hand. “General. There are ten billion more of
us
. We are a different species – I doubt we can mate and produce children. My internal organs and skeleton are different from yours. Skip works for me and is my co-pilot. We were testing my new ship when we came to your solar system. I intend to get him back and stop your foolish policy. You are going through something we have already done. A trade agreement is better than a long term war.”

The general was getting mad. “You are going to lecture me. You killed over a thousand of my soldiers on Xale. I have a mind to kill you right here,” he said and pulled his gun.

“Shoot me general. My ship, Cassandra will let all the air out of the cabin and watch you suffocate slowly. Then she will watch as the large asteroid destroys Thraman City as she is redirecting more and more asteroids at your little planet – bigger and bigger ones until the sky turns black and all your plants and people die of starvation. It you are that stupid – I think I said that right. Stupid – your planet deserves to die. Xale will live. They will rebuild. If my ship decides to return to Earth – maybe they will let Xale live,” Robert was very tired of threatening and being threatened.

The general holstered though the men looked very tense. “Five days. We have five days to get your friend back. I have no idea where to look.”

“I suggest you work out a tentative agreement with LeAt. My ship informed me that Skip was taken to the outskirts of Thraman City…probably a LeSlur safe house. Loan me Service Chief Latima and Battle Chief Lomsolo and we will get him back. More people will be hard to move and train. Give me two days to train them and make them special equipment.”

“What would you have me do? A week from now a huge rock will destroy this area and kill millions. We cannot risk your life – what if you fail…Thraman City dies.”

“I will be in Thraman City too. Work with me – get a trade agreement – save your planet. This could be a good time to go into politics. I do not want to die either,” Robert said. “We are here General. We just landed. Will you get fuel to top us off? The Xale freighter will take a while before it gets here. My ship will redirect the asteroid if I cannot guide it.”

“Your ship can do that? Do you not worry that I might have you killed? I have other men. Why these two?” he asked.

“I know these two run toward a battle and not away. They have spirit and they were good shots. I trust them. They know I will fight with them too. Cassandra will monitor everything we do. Cassandra can start making them special equipment too.”

“So – your ship would know if you what happens around you too? Your ship can make equipment for them?”

I knew he was thinking he could have his guys shoot me but knowing Cassandra could monitor everything put a stop to those plans. “Yes General. My ship knows their sizes and is now going to make them enhanced vision and communication equipment. She can also make a type of fluid fabric body armor.”

“Zhast,” Cassandra said using the LesMa swear word. “You are promising them the farm. You know this will stretch my reserves. At least – get them to bring these materials.” A list of materials printed out of the console. Robert took it and handed it to the General.

“What is this? You want me to get all these things?” the General asked.

“I can not read your language but if Cassandra says she needs those things then she need those items. I also need a place to sleep, eat, and clean up.  Get those things to Cassandra in the morning and we can have equipment ready the next day. Do you have a practice area?”

“Yes. There is a physical training facility near us with adequate ranges. There is a training city. You expect to train my people? You are a civilian – I do not trust my people with civilians,” the general said – tired of this big alien.